LOS ANGELES: Disney has cast New Zealand actor Yoson An to play Mulan's love interest, Chen Honghui, in the upcoming live-action movie.
The actor, who is of Chinese descent, will star opposite Liu Yifei's title character Hua Mulan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
An's Honghui is a confident and ambitious recruit who joins Commander Tung's unit.
He becomes Mulan's most important ally and eventual love interest.
This is likely to be a breakout role for the actor, whose previous credits include the HBO Asia series "Grace" and the upcoming shark thriller "The Meg".
He also will be seen in "Mortal Engines", which hits the theatres in December.
The film is a remake of Disney's 1998 animated film, which follows the story of Mulan, the daughter of an ageing warrior, Fa Zhou.
She impersonates as a man to replace her father during a general conscription during the Han Dynasty.
Directed by Niki Caro, Disney has chosen a primarily Chinese cast for the film with Jet Li, Gong Li and Donnie Yen on board.
Chum Ehelepola and Utkarsh Ambudkar also star as a con-artist duo.
The new movie features a script originally penned by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, and rewritten by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.